Ok I'm on about shave 4 with a straight razor and one thing I am noticing is that the more careful I am the worse my shave is. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I am zipping through but if I go too slowly the likleyhood of slipping and cutting myself is much much much higher. I am also noticing that I don't want that nice pretty looking creamy shaving cream but something that is much wetter and thinner. The thick stuff is drying out and not lubricating to the level that I need it. I discovered cold shaving with the de's but I'm scared to attempt that with a straight. Against the grain is still my worst area, especially on the jawline. I have a super thick beard. On top of that I heard geofatboy say on youtube that you only had to strop once every 10 or so shaves... does anyone agree with this? Thanks.
confidence building
- Thread starter patrickmjett
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I strop 50 laps before and after each shave. I found early on that a light, quick short stroke worked best for me. I also threw out the notion of 30 deg. The flatter the blade, the more comfortable. Keep at it, it does get better.
- Thread starter
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so if this is 30 degrees / is this flatter _ or this l ?
You want the spine closer to your face.
Simply put, it's all in the angle. If the blade is flat against your face, it will not cut your beard, and if at a 90 degree angle, it'll likely cut more of you than your beard! Ideally you want about a 30 degree angle, however it can vary based on different razors and such. The easiest way to determine the proper angle, is to put the razor nearly flat against your face, near your sideburn at the top of your cheek, and as you slide the razor down your face, slowly tilt the razor away from you (while keeping contact with your face) and at a certain point you'll feel and hear the hairs shave right off. It's this angle that you want to keep for the majority of your face/neck. In some areas, you can tilt the razor back a little more (which will cause the razor to "bite in" at the hairs more aggressively) to get a little more aggressive, which is the beauty of the straight razor shave, and why they can deliver the closest shave, as unlike a DE or a cartridge razor that has a "fixed" angle, the entire time you are shaving with a straight razor, the angle is constantly changing based on what works best for YOUR face. It's the ULTIMATE adjustable razor!
The importance of blade angle
Simply put, it's all in the angle. If the blade is flat against your face, it will not cut your beard, and if at a 90 degree angle, it'll likely cut more of you than your beard! Ideally you want about a 30 degree angle, however it can vary based on different razors and such. The easiest way to determine the proper angle, is to put the razor nearly flat against your face, near your sideburn at the top of your cheek, and as you slide the razor down your face, slowly tilt the razor away from you (while keeping contact with your face) and at a certain point you'll feel and hear the hairs shave right off. It's this angle that you want to keep for the majority of your face/neck. In some areas, you can tilt the razor back a little more (which will cause the razor to "bite in" at the hairs more aggressively) to get a little more aggressive, which is the beauty of the straight razor shave, and why they can deliver the closest shave, as unlike a DE or a cartridge razor that has a "fixed" angle, the entire time you are shaving with a straight razor, the angle is constantly changing based on what works best for YOUR face. It's the ULTIMATE adjustable razor!
If you're like me starting out, you're probably moving too slowly for even the best lather to last a whole pass. Just part of the learning curve. Keeping the lather warm and touching up areas that have dried out has helped for me. I don't think a thin, watered down lather is helping your efforts... aim for slick and cushiony.
Stick with it. I'm a few months in and have seen a big improvement.
Stick with it. I'm a few months in and have seen a big improvement.
keep in mind that the lather for DE's and straights are a bit different. knowing this you will have to play with it but there should be no santa claus aount of lather and it should be a bit wetter but still not bubbly.
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